Reviews
“Spiderlight is a creepy-crawly treat from the master of non-human heroes, a joy from beginning to end.” — Paul Cornell, author of Witches of Lychford and The Severed Streets
“[Spiderlight] is a master class in subverting our expectations to surprise, engage, and deliver a fantastic story that works even when it isn’t pulling the rug out from under us.” — Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog
“Working in a small space, Tchaikovsky gives us sympathetic characters, real moral dilemmas, and emotional depth, all shot through with a sly humor that kept me grinning throughout. If, like me, you’re a D&D fan who always wondered about the ethics of Detect Evil or what the orcs eat in Mordor, you will love this one.” — Django Wexler, author of the Shadow Campaigns series
“Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Spiderlight is [a] story that has loyalty as a central concern, albeit loyalty to an idea. It’s an interrogation of the standard opposition between Light and Dark, good and evil, and what it means to deny personhood to – to strive to exterminate – certain kinds of people based on who and what they are. It’s a novel about the lies we tell ourselves about what it means to be good, a story about monsters, a story about learning to be better. (It also has a great sense of humour. And spiders.)” — Locus
“Spiderlight is a great fantasy read from one of the UK’s growing creators of world-class genre storytelling. Worth your time.” — Starburst Magazine
“Subversive and classic, Spiderlight is a timeless adventure cranked up for the modern era of readers. A warship-rocker of an adventure, Adrian Tchaikovsky has struck another literary goldmine that’s perfect for readers to dive into. Gripping and highly recommended.” — Jeremy Szal, Starship Sofa
“Spiderlight is a rip-roaring, old-fashioned heroic fantasy romp that also messes playfully with some of the genre’s more outdated conventions… a breathless rush that never outstays its welcome.” — Dirge Mag
“Spiderlight will take you on a ride directly through straight fantasy and into the realms of the really fantastic… a brilliantly original novel.” — Geek Syndicate
“A must-read for all fans of fantasy. Very highly recommended.” —
Civilian Reader
“In a world of large epic fantasy series with mushy pacing and a lack of focus, Spiderlight is as sharp as a spider’s fang, as tight as its webbing, and as multifaceted as its gaze.” — Skiffy & Fanty
“A very fun, creepy quest tale with some quirky and engaging adventurers.” — Bull Spec
“Tchaikovsky pokes gentle fun at some classic tropes and deftly uses others in a way that shows his deep love for and broad knowledge of the genre.” —SF Bluestocking